Color Center
Color plays an integral part in how we react to things both emotionally and physically. Understanding what colors can do will help you to attract your target market more effectively.
Color can cause a visitor/customer to pass by your business, or leave your website altogether. For this reason, deciding on a color scheme for your business image is a very important first step.
BOLD
Warm colors such as red and orange are typically associated with boldness and strength. In web design, black can also trigger a feeling of strength.
PEACEFUL
Cool colors in the blue family conjure feelings of peace and calm. Purples are considered playful.
PROSPEROUS
Green and shades of it, cause most people to think of money, good health, nature, and/or prosperity.
PROFESSIONAL
Muted primary colors such as red, navy, or green along with black and dark gray convey a sense of professionalism.
You should avoid overuse of colors that cause a negative reaction such as bright (neon) purples, pinks, and yellows. Unless you are looking for a specific reaction, avoid using these as the main colors on your website.
Color Matters
You should always keep in mind that the colors on your screen most likely will not match the colors (exactly) that come out of your printer. Your computer monitor displays colors in RGB (red, green, blue), while your printer prints out either in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) or PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors. These are two different color spaces, which is why they display colors
so differently.
While backgrounds that contain images can be pleasing, one should make certain that the background image chosen is not too busy, and does not cause a perceived “confusion” in their visitor’s mind. Examples of confusing background images can be those that are bold colors and repeat too often, or those that do not create a consistent pattern when repeated across a page. Background images can also cause page load time to increase, which is very undesirable. In most cases, a solid colored background is considered more professional.
• Adjacent or harmonizing colors appear next to each other on the color wheel. Harmonizing colors often work well together but if too close in value they can appear washed out or not have enough contrast.
•Complementary colors are separated by another color on the color wheel. Complementary colors printed side by side can cause visual vibration making them a less than desirable combination. However, separate them on the page with other colors and they can work together.
